Importing a Small Animal

[Pilotman]

this information may be useful for anyone thinking or planning to import a small domestic animal through Suvarnabhumi Airport.  Our cat arrived on BA yesterday and frankly the experience for both her and us was traumatic and unsatisfactory.. We had checked the regulations published on the website, obtained the Import Permit and  had the  vet inspection report and vet export permit. so far so good.  She came on BA and the BA rep here in Thailand was less than useless on telling us what to do when she arrived. His information  on process was in equal parts, wrong,  inaccurate  or made up. We arrived at the airport 2 hours before the aircraft arrived  and went to the Duty Free Zone (an oxymoron if ever there was one)  and checked out what we needed to do and where to go. Nobody was giving us any useful information.  We were then approached by a BFS employee who was just going off shift and had noticed our confusion .  He offered to help and thank God that he did, otherwise we would still be there today. A local agency had offered to help the process at a cost of  $600 US , we declined, thinking that it couldn't be that difficult.  How wrong we were.   To cut a long story very short, it was 6 hours after the aircraft had landed that we finally had the cat in the car and left the airport. The process is ridiculously complicated and paper driven.  The sloth and lack of urgency of the staff borders on animal cruelty, for which they should be ashamed. The BFS chap was marvellous and even he lost his cool on two occasions at the lack of action by customs and vet officials. Interestingly, the cargo people advertise that it is a paper less service.  Clearly sometime has been lost in translation! 

 

So what are the lessons for others?  the biggest is that it is much easier apparently if the animal travels  on the same aircraft as the owner and even easier if the animal is small and can travel in the cabin.  All three airlines flying direct from the UK offer that option on some flights although you may have to travel Business to get it.  Have copies of the UK vet report, your passport, ID card and  animal vaccination certs ready, lots of them ,as all desks seem to want a copy and keep it. Pick a flight that arrives midday or very shortly afterwards as they take at least an hour for lunch.  It maybe wise to use  the local agent, even though the price is extortionate.  Have a fist full of cash when you arrive .  The final cost in taxes and various charges was 8,000 Bhat !  The chap we 'found'  stayed with us many hours after his shift ended  and respite what cynics may say, he saved the day for us and I was happy to pay him a 'consideration', which he at first refused but which I insisted ion paying him. He also saved us a lot more tax. 

 

As an aside, I was the Airport Manager  for Operations at an Asian airport for 3 years back in the 90s. Our watchword in cargo with live animals was that the swiftest service should always be given to get the animal out of the cargo area and away asap.  That is not the attitude here .    

[observer90210]

Good piece of experience,

 

A neighbour who annualy does his 6 month retreat here, comes over with a small dog, The baby always travels with them,  on the same vessel, in the cabin. They never had any hassles in the past 3 years on arrival at BKK Suvarnabhumi..

 

He takes Swiss Airlines from ZRH to BKK direct flight with the pet in the cabin, ECY class.